The present disclosure generally relates to hood latch assemblies for use in an automotive vehicle, wherein the hood latch assembly includes the use of active materials.
Numerous motor vehicles employ a hingeable hood disposed in a region between the passenger compartment and the forward bumper of the motor vehicle, and between the passenger compartment and the rearward bumper of the motor vehicle. The hingeable hood provides a mechanism for accessing the underlying engine or storage compartment and is typically formed of a relatively thin sheet of metal or plastic that is molded to the appropriate contour corresponding to the overall vehicle body design. The hingeable hood also includes a latch system, which is primarily used for securing the hood to the vehicle body.
Many latch systems typically include a striker on the hood, a primary latching member on the vehicle body engageable with the striker to secure the hood in a closed or latched position, and a secondary latching member on the vehicle body in the path taken by the striker from the latched position. The secondary latching member acts as an additional safety device to prevent the hood from opening in the event that the primary latching member unintentionally disengages.
Very often the primary latching member is cable-operated from inside the vehicle and the secondary latching member is manually operated upon (e.g., by a handle). The secondary latching member usually has an actuating handle that is accessible to a person's fingers when the person is standing in close proximity to the latch system. The actuating handle must be pushed or pulled in a specific direction in order to release the secondary latching member from the striker.
Current latch systems are limited in that the process of reaching and operating the handle of the secondary latching member may be difficult for those who may not be aware of the handle construction or movement direction required to disengage the secondary latching member from the striker. The process may be more difficult under conditions of limited visibility; the operation must then be carried out using only the sense of feel to find and operate the handle.
Another limitation of current latch systems is that they typically provide single site lock down of the hood to the vehicle body. The single latch system in addition to hinges and any support structure, such as a contoured plate with stamped rib supports extending across the underside of the hood, provide a limited number of paths for distribution of a load, and consequently energy absorption, during an impact event. Furthermore, would-be thieves need only disengage the single latch system in order to access the contents of the engine or storage compartment.
Despite their suitability for their intended purposes, there nonetheless remains a need in the art for improved motor vehicle hood latch systems. It would be particularly advantageous if such latch systems could result in less difficulty during operation, and/or provide or permit greater energy to be absorbed during an impact event, and/or provide increased security against theft.